Our Family's Favorite Thanksgiving Recipes
When one thinks of Thanksgiving, it conjures up images of family gatherings met with the echo of football games emanating from the living room and of course, food. Before you gather with your loved ones this Turkey Day, consider trying one of the recipes from our very own Ameris family.
Key Lime Pie
Submitted by: Susan Lyttle, HRIS Administrator
“A holiday recipe, Florida style! We don’t grow pumpkins in St. Augustine, but we do harvest limes from trees in our backyard, so the ‘local’ version of pumpkin pie is really… Key lime pie. Whatever you do, don’t add green food coloring! A perfect Key lime pie is always yellow, not green.
Graham Cracker Crust
Ingredients:
1 ½ cups graham cracker crumbs (or 10 graham cracker sheets pulverized in a food processor)
2 Tbsp white sugar
1 Tbsp packed brown sugar
7 Tbsp butter, melted
Directions:
- Combine the first three ingredients in a medium bowl, then add melted butter. Use a fork to combine well.
- Pour mixture into a deep-dish pie pan. Press firmly to the bottom and sides of the pan.
Key Lime Pie Filling
Ingredients:
4 egg yolks, beaten
2 (14 oz) cans sweetened condensed milk
1 cup key lime juice
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 375°F.
- Combine egg yolks, condensed milk and lime juice. Mix well, then pour into graham cracker crust.
- Bake for 25 minutes.
- Allow to cool then store in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
- Top with whipped cream and a slice of lime if desired.
Sweet Potato Souffle
Submitted by: Lauren Malloney, HRIS Generalist
“This is one of my favorites for Thanksgiving!”
Ingredients:
1 cup packed brown sugar
½ cup chopped pecans (about 2 oz.)
¼ cup (½ stick) chilled butter, cut into ¼ inch pieces
5 lbs. red skinned sweet potatoes, peeled, cut into 1 ½ inch pieces
4 large eggs
3 Tbsp pure maple syrup
2 Tbsp vanilla extract
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 tsp salt
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Mix sugar, pecans and butter in a small bowl. Cover and chill until ready to use.
- Butter a 13x9x2 glass baking dish.
- Cook sweet potatoes in a large pot of boiling salted water until very tender (about 12 minutes). Drain and let stand in colander for about 15 minutes.
- Puree sweet potatoes in a food processor.
- Beat eggs, syrup, vanilla, lemon juice and salt in a large bowl. Mix in pureed sweet potatoes.
- Transfer sweet potato mixture to the prepared dish.
- Sprinkle pecan topping evenly over mixture.
- Bake until sweet potato mixture is set and topping bubbles, about 1 hour.
- Let stand 15 minutes and serve.
Turkey Cranberry Wreath
Submitted by: Maria Prange, Universal Banker
“This is one of my favorite recipes for Thanksgiving leftover turkey. My family has been making this recipe the day after Thanksgiving for over 20 years.”
Ingredients:
2 packages (8 ounces each) refrigerated crescent rolls
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 Tbsp honey Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp coarsely ground black pepper
2 cups (12 ounces) chopped cooked turkey
1/2 cup sliced celery
3 Tbsp snipped fresh parsley
1/2 cup sweetened dried cranberries
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Swiss cheese
1/4 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped
1 egg
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 375°F.
- Unroll crescent dough; separate into 16 triangles. With wide ends of triangles toward the center, arrange 8 triangles in a circle on a baking stone. Corners of wide ends will touch, and points will extend one inch beyond edge of baking stone. Arrange remaining 8 triangles in center, matching wide ends. Seal seams using a roller.
- Place mayonnaise, mustard and black pepper in a bowl. Add turkey, celery, parsley and cranberries to bowl.
- Grate cheese into bowl and mix.
- Scoop filling over seams of dough, forming a circle. Sprinkle walnuts over filling.
- Beginning in center, lift one dough triangle across filling mixture. Continue alternating with outer triangles, slightly overlapping to form wreath. Tuck last end under first.
- Separate egg and discard yolk or set aside for another use.
- Lightly beat egg white and brush over dough.
- Bake 25-30 minutes or until golden brown.